How to Eliminate Hot and Cold Spots in Your Home

Have you ever had this problem? You leave a perfectly toasty living room to head to your bedroom, and feel the need to put on an extra sweater?

Hot and cold spots are a common occurrence in many households, and they’re a real pain when December and January temperatures roll around.

We have some tips on how you can get your whole home to be the same temperature.

What Causes Hot and Cold Spots?

There are two main causes when it comes to hot and cold spots in your home.

1. The Way Your Home is Built

The structure of your home will have a big impact on hot and cold spots in your home. This includes:

How many windows there are

The amount and quality of insulation

How much sun your house gets

The actual floor plan of your home

For example, a room that gets a lot of sun exposure from windows, but has a thermostat in a room that is shaded will get unusually warm on sunny winter days. Alternatively, a room that doesn’t have necessary air circulation will be chillier.

2. The Way Your Ductwork was Installed

It’s not just windows and insulation that contribute to inconsistent temperatures in your home. The way your duct work is laid out will have a tremendous impact.

If properly designed and installed, air is spread equally to all parts of your home so that walking from room to room doesn’t require a change of clothing. Improperly designed or installed, and you’ll find that some rooms get much less heat than others.

Ways to Eliminate Hot and Cold Spots

There are some ways that you can help eliminate hot and cold spots in your home.

1. Check to Make Sure No Vents are Blocked

Sometimes a room will have a cold spot simply because the underside of a sofa is taking all the heat. Make sure your vents aren’t blocked by any furniture, and that the warm air has a clear path to the rest of the room.

2. Look for Drafts

Sometimes a cold spot is a draft running down the back of your neck from a faulty window seal.

Check your windows and doors for any broken seals, and look for any other potential sources of drafts that are working against your furnace.

3. Think About Your Insulation

Your insulation is the never-seen part of your home, but it’s absolutely necessary for Toronto winters. So you want to make sure it’s in tip top shape.

If you suspect that your insulation is failing you – or that you may not even have insulation (which can happen when you live in an older home) – hire a professional to come do an evaluation. They know what to look for, and will be able to advise you if there are any problems.

4. Use Zoning, and Good Thermostats

One of the absolute best ways to avoid hot and cold spots in your home is to invest in multi-zone heating.

Zoning involves multiple thermostats in your home that control dampers in your air ducts. That way you can adjust temperatures for different rooms at different times.

Not only does this help warm up cold spots, but you’ll save money on heating!

5. Duct Cleaning and Furnace Maintenance

While not the cause of hot and cold spots, your ducts and furnace could be making things worse if they aren’t operating properly.

Duct cleaning is not something you need to do regularly, but if you’ve recently undergone a renovation, live in a home with pets, and/or have never had it done, now may be a good time. There could be dust and debris buildup affecting air circulation.

A furnace tune up will not only make sure that it is heating your home properly, but will give you peace of mind that it will hold up in winter. The last thing you want is to have your furnace break down at 6 AM in -20 degree weather.